A/N: A necessary scene without our two ladies to start off with so I can explain some of the upcoming storylines. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of SwanQueen further down the chapter. And that fifth date isn't too far away.
"Thanks again, Athena. I'll get onto the search as soon as I can," Emma said as she left the bathroom the following Monday. The redhead smiled, her hopes restored as the younger woman walked away.
Turning back to the sink, she continued to brush her hair before setting about plaiting it, her mind wandering to her lost love as she did so.
"Morning Athena," came a British accent from behind her.
Glancing in the mirror, Athena's eyebrows raised as she saw West stood there.
"Hi West," she said, cautiously. "How are you?"
"I'm just fine thank you, although I do have a query I think you may be able to answer."
Turning around, Athena leaned on the counter and folded her arms. "Yes?"
"My sister and the Swan girl," West started. "I've seen them together a lot recently. Is something going on?"
"Why would I know," Athena replied shortly. Swan had specifically asked her to keep their budding romance quiet and the redhead was not going to risk angering the brunette even more than she already had.
"Because you were just speaking to Swan about a meal you cooked for her on Saturday night and I happen to know how fond my sister is of salmon."
"Leave me out of your feud please West," Athena said, turning back to the mirror and hoping that would end the conversation.
"Thank you," West smiled, her grey-blue eyes meeting her fellow redhead's in the reflection, "that's all I needed to know."
With that, West headed triumphantly out of the bathroom, leaving Athena to wonder whether she should tell Swan what had just happened.
"I still maintain the killer was painfully obvious last night," Emma argued as Boyd helped her pull the sheets from the drier.
"Yes but that episode really wasn't about the case was it," Boyd countered. "The writers were setting up for whatever career path Beckett is going to choose for the next season. We had the demonstration of corrupt politics and how more morally sound politicians are needed, and Beckett put in for her captain's exam."
"Which route do you think the show will take?" Emma asked, pushing the linen basket to the table where they began folding the load.
"Well, the show would change dramatically if she became a politician and I don't think that's what viewers want. But then they had that weird guy from the future last season who talked about Senator Beckett so perhaps that's what will happen when Castle finally finishes."
"Oh God, don't talk about shows finishing!" Emma laughed.
"I know right," Boyd said. "It's amazing how invested in tv we can get!"
The two girls worked side by side all morning, chatting and laughing as they did so.
"I'm just nipping to the bathroom," Boyd said. Emma nodded absentmindedly and continued sorting through their current load.
The door to the laundry re-opened a minute later.
"That was quick," Emma remarked without turning around.
"What can I say, I have my ways."
Emma whipped around at the sound of the voice. Her eyes widened as she looked at West but more so because of who stood behind her.
"You've switched sides rather dramatically," Emma commented, folding her arms and standing a little straighter.
Feinberg laughed. "We don't work with pathetic losers," she sneered.
"Right," nodded Emma. "Or you just hire yourself out to the highest bidder. It's basically prostitution if you think about it."
Faery snarled and Trident balled her hands into fists. West held up a placating hand however, before turning her attention back to Emma.
"I wanted to have a little chat with you Swan," she said in a sickly sweet voice. "My friends here just so happened to come along too."
"Chat about what?" Emma asked.
"My sister," West said simply.
"Half sister," Emma corrected, fear rising inside her at the realisation that the three women behind the redhead must have told West about their relationship.
"Whatever," West said, waving her hand. "I came to warn you actually."
Emma laughed. "Oh yes? Please do tell me what I should be afraid of."
"People who are close to my sister never last long," West said. "I'd get out now if you want to live to see your freedom restored."
"Is that a threat?" Emma asked.
"Oh no dear," West implored. "Just consider it friendly advice."
"Swanny," came Boyd's voice from the doorway. "Did you remember to ask admin to order more washing powder?"
"Well, it was lovely chatting with you, Swanny," West said, a fake smile plastered all over her face. "See you around."
The redhead turned and walked away, her three new bodyguards trotting after her. Boyd stared wide eyed as the quartet passed her. She waited until the laundry room door had clicked shut behind them before she rushed to stand in front of Emma who was still leaning against the counter, staring after the women.
"What the hell was all that about?" she asked, worry etched in her features as she regarded her friend.
"I'm not sure," Emma said, before turning back to continue her work, unwilling to dwell any longer on what West had said.
"So you know all that stuff about Faery, Feinberg and Trident being loyal?" Emma asked, leaning against the archway to Regina's room.
"Yes," the brunette frowned looking up from The Great Gatsby. Emma had insisted the brunette read it after she had finished and the brunette had found it pointedly placed on her pillow the day before. She had so far refused to admit how much she was enjoying it.
"Turns out they're not," Emma declared, walking into the room and sitting down on Regina's bed.
Regina raised her eyebrow at the action and glanced towards her new bunkmate who was sat opposite her.
"I don't think keeping us quiet matters any more," Emma said. When Regina frowned, the blonde elaborated. "West came to see me at work today. With your former cronies standing shoulder to shoulder behind her." Regina's mouth fell open. "Yeah," Emma nodded. "My reaction exactly."
"What did she want?" Regina asked.
"To tell me to stay away from you if I wanted to get out of prison alive," Emma shrugged.
A panicked look flashed across Regina's face.
"Oh come on," Emma said, resting a hand soothingly against the brunette's arm. "It was an empty threat."
"I don't think it was Emma," Regina said, her voice tinged with worry. "Do you know what my half-sister is inside for?" The blonde shook her head. "Man Two."
Emma's eyes widened. "She killed someone?"
"Yes," Regina confirmed.
"Why isn't she in a maximum security prison then?" Emma asked. "I thought FCI was for non-violent offenders."
"She had a damn good lawyer who somehow managed to convince a bone headed jury she had been committing a misdemeanour that unfortunately resulted in a man's death so she was only tried on that crime, not felony murder."
"What misdemeanour?" Emma asked.
"Discharging a firearm."
"She shot someone?"
"Yes," Regina nodded. "And the lawyer argued successfully West didn't know her ex boyfriend was about to walk into the alley where she was firing her gun and therefore it was an accident when a bullet just so happened to hit him right between the eyes."
"Shit," Emma murmured.
Regina's hand moved to squeeze Emma's. "She can't hurt you in here though Emma."
"Can't she?" Emma asked. "You had West beaten up using those three thugs. Sorry," she added at the look of hurt on Regina's face. "But what's to stop your killer half sister from doing the same thing?"
"What kind of place is this?" came a timid voice from the other side of the room. Both Emma and Regina jumped, having forgotten the new bunkmate was even there.
"Sorry," Emma offered weakly. "It's not as bad as it sounds."
"Elsa?" came a familiar voice from the door.
"Anna!" the blonde on the other bed exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and ran into the corridor.
Curious, Emma and Regina followed the brunette's new bunkmate.
The woman apparently called Elsa was wrapped in a tight embrace with someone Emma quickly recognised as Arendelle. She had seen the overly talkative girl around several times and even had lunch with her on occasion.
"Erm, you guys know each other?" Emma asked as the girls broke apart.
"Elsa is my sister," Arendelle explained.
"Hi," the blonde smiled, an arm wrapped firmly around the shorter girl's waist.
"I thought you'd been sentenced to serve your time up north?" Arendelle said, looking confusedly at her sister.
"Overcrowding or something. I got transferred down to FCI last night. I looked for you at breakfast but I couldn't see you anywhere."
"I was with Kristoff, I mean, Counsellor Bjorgman," Arendelle corrected quickly.
Elsa raised her eyebrows but didn't pry. "You wanna get dinner now?" she asked.
The two sisters left arm in arm, chatting animatedly as they did so.
"Aw, that was cute," Emma remarked.
"Indeed," Regina nodded. "If only all incarcerated sisters got on so spectacularly."
"Right, forgot about your psycho family," Emma teased.
"You don't know the half of it!" Regina said, darkly. "But can we forget about them and go and have dinner too. If West knows, there's no point hiding us any more."
"Can this be our fourth date?" Emma asked, waggling her eyebrows.
"No," Regina declared. Emma's face fell before the brunette added, "because I already have something planned for us on Friday night!"
Emma's radiant smile lit up her face and Regina laughed as the two women headed towards the dining hall together.
Emma hadn't had any more run ins with West and her new cronies all week but was feeling nervous nonetheless as she sat outside Dr Fisher's room once more. Booth was beside her as usual, his hands resting calming in his lap whilst Emma's fidgeted with her pants fastening, coiling and uncoiling the string around her finger.
"Good afternoon, Swan. Are you ready?" came Fisher's calm voice from the doorway.
Emma nodded, took a deep breath and walked inside. The doctor smiled at the blonde as she took her usual seat.
"Actually I'm going to need you to pop up onto the examination table today Miss Swan, if you don't mind." Fisher said, gesturing to the bed-like contraption in the middle of the room.
Emma nodded mutely and stood up. Hopping onto the table, she reclined against the raised back and waited, anxiously tapping her fingers against her thighs. Booth sat in the chair beside the doctor's desk and smiled encouragingly at Emma as she looked around her nervously.
"Ok," said Fisher as she turned from the cabinet on the wall back to look at Emma. "So today we're going to do your first ultrasound and I should be able to get a picture of the baby. How have you been feeling the past couple of weeks?" she asked as she pulled a machine towards her and unhooked the probe she needed.
"I've been much better," Emma nodded. "Not so much morning sickness so I think the tablets are helping."
"Good," Fisher smiled. "Have you noticed any changes in your appetite or a heightened sense of smell?"
"Not yet," Emma shook her head.
"Ok, you can expect your body to become more sensitive to these things in the next couple of weeks. If you can just pull your top up a little now so I can get to your stomach please."
Emma took hold of the hem of her top and pulled it up, tucking it beneath her bra before settling back down. Her abdomen was still flat and toned, with no sign of the small life growing beneath the pale skin.
"This is going to be a little cold," Fisher warned as she squeezed some gel onto Emma's stomach. Using the probe, she spread the jelly-like like liquid around before rubbing the machine more firmly against the central area of her abdomen.
Emma held her breath as Fisher turned her attention to the screen beside her. Trying not to panic, the blonde balled her hands into fists as she felt the probe move easily over her now slick skin. She was about to see her baby for the first time. Suddenly it all seemed like too much for her and she turned her face away from the screen, staring resolutely at a spot just to the left of Booth's head. The man himself was looking at the ultrasound image.
"Ah ha!" the doctor announced triumphantly. "I've found it, would you like to see?" she asked as she turned back to see the blonde facing away from her.
Emma shook her head.
"Are you sure Swan?" Booth asked, standing up and walking over to be beside the blonde. Tears were forming in her eyes as she lay there, willing herself not to turn and look at her unborn child.
"I can't," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.
"You might regret it," Fisher offered as she reached for the headphones so Emma wouldn't have to hear the baby's heartbeat. Another shake of the head and the doctor nodded sadly, turning away to finish the necessary checks of the baby's health as Booth crouched down so he was eye level with the petrified young woman.
"Swan," he started kindly. "You don't have to make any rash decisions, remember. Maybe seeing your baby will help you decide what you want to do?"
"I already told you," Emma said, quietly. "I don't have a choice. I have to give this baby up for adoption and I don't want to make it harder than it has to be by getting attached to someone I'm never going to truly meet."
"OK," Booth nodded, reaching out to squeeze Emma's arm as he stood up.
Fisher finished her checks and began wiping the gel off Emma's stomach. As soon as the blonde was clean, Doctor Fisher untucked her top and patted her leg gently, indicating she could get up. Emma hopped off the examination table as if it was burning her. She moved immediately to the door before pausing and turning back.
"Is there anything else?" Emma asked, her hand poised over the handle.
"No, everything looks great," Fisher smiled kindly, "but I'd like to see you again in two weeks please."
Emma nodded and disappeared from the room.
"Do you have a picture?" Booth asked.
"Yes," replied Fisher. "Do you want to keep a copy?"
The bearded man nodded. "I get the feeling she might regret never seeing it at some point in the future. I'll put it in her file and then, if she does change her mind, I can show it to her."
"You're a good man, August," the doctor said as she slid the grainy black and white picture over to him.
Booth picked it up and squinted. "Sorry, what am I meant to be looking at?"
Fisher laughed and pointed to a paler area. "Here," she smiled. "This is his head, and his legs, and that's an arm there."
"His?" Booth asked. "It's a boy?"
"It's difficult to tell this early on, but I think so," Fisher smiled. "I'll know more conclusively when she has her 20 week scan next month."
"Do you think she'll show any emotion towards this baby Doc?" Booth asked, pocketing the photo.
"I think her reaction today shows she is already far more emotionally invested in this baby than she wants to believe."